They may be great with call centers, but Indians in the country of India seem pretty sloppy when it comes to making generic and over the counter drugs for the United States and other countries.

We get 40% of those drugs from India, and the FDA is screaming at the poor quality control and outright fake drugs coming from them. Little screening is done in India if the FDA doesn't do it, and even when they do, they can't stay forever at each suspect plant.

Details, scary as they are, can be found here:http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/15/world/asia/medicines-made-in-india-set-off-safety-worries.html?hpw&rref=health

The last four paragraphs concerning China are a little chilling too. Refusal to grant visas is habitually used by China to prevent Western investigative reportage on matters they wish to conceal.

American businesses and F.D.A. officials are just as concerned about the quality of drugs coming out of China, but the F.D.A.'s efforts to increase inspections there have so far been frustrated by the Chinese government.

“China is the source of some of the largest counterfeit manufacturing operations that we find globally,” said John P. Clark, Pfizer’s chief security officer, who added that Chinese authorities were cooperative.

Using its new revenues, the F.D.A. tried to bolster its staff in China in February 2012. But the Chinese government has so far failed to provide the necessary visas despite an announced agreement in December 2013 during a visit by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., said Erica Jefferson, an F.D.A. spokeswoman.

The United States has become so dependent on Chinese imports, however, that the F.D.A. may not be able to do much about the Chinese refusal. The crucial ingredients for nearly all antibiotics, steroids and many other lifesaving drugs are now made exclusively in China.

Having spent a great time in India, I can honestly tell you that if I know my drugs came from there, I would not take them. The place is dirty and there is no way to get around the filth. This article does not surprise me in the least.

Somebody is still mad over his adventures with Air India.

Somebody is still mad over his adventures with Air India.

LOL Yes. But, truly, this country is the dirtiest I have ever been to and I have been to near 100 now. I'll just say this, I tell my family that I want them to visit every country I have been to except India. I would never let a female member of my family go there.

Why has the generic drug outsourcing been accomplished with no safety valve to bring them back to the US just in the case of something like this? Most of this changed happened under Republican administrations.

Given that I think all of Washington is for sale, there is little doubt in my mind that the health and safety of Americans has been sold for a few thousand dollars in bribes.

By no account will I defend India. It has been on my list of never return since I first went there. However, I wonder what the "real" drug situation is? We have "political" opposition to importing drugs from Canada, We have various scandals here in the US about improprieties perpetrated by our own manufacturers. Obviously there is an agendum from brand name drugs to denigrate generics. Who knows the whole truth and who might be reporting it? I know not.

Best regards,

RA1